In the EdibleRx, I like to keep things informative and simple. I’m not a fan of demonizing foods or food groups. Balance is key, and I believe in making recommendations based on sound evidence – as good as it exists.

Food trends come and go – witness the plethora of extreme diet books that have populated bookshelves (maybe even your own) and spurred endless conversations and discussions. When a trend becomes potentially harmful to a vulnerable group, however, I cannot let that slip by. Having spent most of my career working with children and families with special needs, it makes my blood boil when food trends and fads get visited on vulnerable groups.

Case in point: Back around 2004 I was called to testify before the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which was examining two companies in particular that were marketing diet pills and supplements for children. One supplement actually used herbs that were contraindicated in anyone under age twelve years. I pulled no punches and spoke the science, the facts, and also my outrage. When you get the ear of Congress people, believe me, it’s not about keeping quiet. It’s about using a professional voice to speak the truth, and making sure it is heard by those who can make changes. That supplement website was shut down, fortunately.

I was interviewed September 18th for an ABC News story about a company making Paleo-inspired baby food: free from grains, dairy, and fruit, centered around meat and vegetables. Beef, chicken and veggies are great foods and fine for a meal, but promoting a diet free from dairy, grains, and fruit for infants and toddlers is not. Young children this age need balance and variety from all five food groups. Simple, basic foods from these groups are a nutrient-rich package and round out a balanced diet.

Their reasoning? From their website:

“We were shocked by the amount of sugar in most baby foods, because sugar (even from fruit) creates inflammation which leads to health problems and can make a baby fussy from the blood sugar crash.”

In 30+ years as a pediatric nutritionist/dietitian working with children with special needs of all forms, I have yet to see an infant/toddler who had a “sugar crash” from eating strained pears. Period.

As for their food, it comes in three different flavors, “free-range chicken, “all grass-fed beef” or “uncured bacon”, each mixed with vegetables and each with either 4 or 5 grams of protein – less than what you’d get from about an ounce of edible beef or chicken (both typically contain about 7 grams of protein per ounce). Squeeze pouches only, sold online in 6-packs. Each pouch is 4-oz. or ½ cup.

Baby Nutrition 101: Mixed dishes are not first foods

They call these products “first foods to feel good about” but these are all mixed dishes. You never want to introduce more than one new food at a time. If there’s an allergic reaction, you won’t know which food is causing it.

Meat and vegetables are great foods for babies – but not JUST meat and vegetables. While they shun dairy, I hope they’re OK with breast milk – it has even more “sugar” than cow’s milk. (For the record, cow’s milk doesn’t replace breast milk or formula until at least 12 months.)

“Ridiculous” Costs

Cost per 6-pack: $26.95, or about $4.50 PER SERVING! For $26.95 you can buy enough healthful beef, chicken and veggies – and grains, fruit, and dairy – and feed your toddler for days, or even buy wholesome prepared baby food. An infant/toddler diet that excludes grains, dairy, and fruit isn’t serenity. It’s insanity. And $26.95 for 3 cups of meat and veggies? Unnecessary food elitism. Good baby food — store-bought or homemade — should be, and IS, far more affordable than this.

And even if you buy baby food in pouches, feed it to baby with a spoon. Stay involved. It’s the start of having family meals — one of the BEST ways to feed kids of all ages. Hey, it’s Family Meals Month. Make it happen in your family. THAT make healthier kids.

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Dr. Keith Ayoob

Keith is an Associate Clinical Professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City where he has maintained a clinical practice for over 30 years, specializing in obesity, child nutrition, and family dynamics. Much of his work also focuses on motivational counseling.